Ayurvedic Weight Loss
Your overweight depends on what Dosha that dominates within you. This means that if you know your Dosha, then you will know how to balance your body and lose weight automatically.
First, if you don’t know your Dosha do the quick test by clicking on the following link:
Now, go the section where your Dosha is described:
Vata with weight problems
- Vata – Reduce your mental stress
If you have a Vata personality you will probably have a thin body structure and don’t have to worry about your weight. But if you are not in balance you could get weight problems. Sometimes, in your life, your body’s metabolism can change and you will get overweight. What causes your metabolism to change? Like the majority of health problems, stress is the cause. Individuals with dominating Vata are more in the risk zone for mental stress than any of the others (Pitta or Kapha). A person with Vata has a tendency to “overuse” its mind. Many times a Vata-person can be too stressed to even remember eating properly. When you forget to eat your metabolism may get disturbed and this can cause you to gain weight. This is why a person with Vata needs to reduce the mental stress and give the body food that is easy to digest. 20 minutes of meditation twice a day is recommended to reduce the mental stress. A hot oil massage is also recommended. It’s good for the dry skin that Vata-persons often have. The hot oil massage also has a calming effect on the body and emotions. You should try to avoid having a job that is mentally stressful.
- Vata – Get daily routines
To get you in balance it is essential to have some routines in your daily life. Vata-persons have are very flexible and always on the run. They dislike having routines but it’s very important in order to stay healthy. You should get to bed early, before 10 pm and you should get up at 6 am. You should also eat three meals a day at the same hours. Vata’s digestion is irregular and that is why it’s very important to eat at the same hours. This way the metabolism will function much better.
The more relaxed you are and the more routines you have in your life, the better you will resist the daily stress. You will also get control over your weight as well as other Vata-related problems such as low self esteem, anxiety, high blood pressure, ache and fatigue.
- Vata – Eat hot and nourishing food
When it comes to your diet you should eat light and nourishing food and try to avoid spicy food (chili, cayenne) and cold food like ice cream, cold drinks and desserts. Stay away from food that is hard to digest such as cheese and meat. For breakfast you could try cooked apples or pears and for dinner soup with vegetables and leguminous plants. Zucchini, squash and quinoa is also something you could include to your diet. Remember that when you prepare your food you should use nourishing oils like ghee and olive oil and also herbs like cumin, fennel, turmeric and coriander.
- Vata – Training exercise
A Vata’s energy level shifts a lot and they don’t have much endurance as Pitta and Kapha. The best for a Vata would therefore be a calmer form of exercise like: Yoga, qigong, workouts with lighter weights, long walks, badminton, tennis and running. Many Vata-persons like to dance and dancing is an excellent choice of exercise since the music will inspire them to a higher level and help them clear their minds.
Pitta with weight problems
- Pitta – Don’t skip any meals
If you have a Pitta personality you digest your food very well. You don’t have any problems burning carbs and sugar. Even so, some people with Pitta have problems with their digestion. This can occur if you skip meals! Your body will start generating”ama”, a toxic byproduct generated due to improper or incomplete digestion. Your body that is used to burn food now has nothing to burn and this can damage your stomach. It’s like an empty pot on a hot stove; this will result in a burned pot since there is nothing in the pot. If this continues you could get ulcer.
It’s very important for the stomach to start the day with a breakfast. A lightly cooked apple or pear mixed with plums for breakfast is an excellent way to start your day. Porridge oats is also recommended by Ayurveda for breakfast. A Pitta-person should eat three meals a day at the same hours.
Many Pitta-persons who are overweight don’t eat on regular times and as a result the body will generate “ama” (as described above) and clog the digestion system. The body won’t be able to assimilate the nutrients and the body’s metabolism will not function properly and that is why a Pitta-person becomes overweight. So in order for a Pitta-person to lose weight, you should not stop eating food or skip meals; instead you should eat on regular times.
- Pitta – Get balance in your life
To get your weight in order you also need balance in your life. If you are a Pitta-person you should go to bed before 10 pm. At that time you might feel as if you are full of energy but if you stay up and don’t go to bed you might get a rising appetite for food and become hungry and thirsty and go for a snack. This will definitely add to your weight problem. So, if you want to lose weight you should go to bed before 10 pm, before your energy cycle kicks in. Balancing your life also means lowering your demands on yourself. Try to take some time off, so you won’t get caught up in your work all the time. Be around kids and play some ball. Taking some time off and having a playful attitude, will ease your mind and help your body to work harmoniously. If you manage to balance your life, you will automatically lose weight. If you are in balance you will not only lose weight but you will also avoid other Pitta related health problems like inflammations, gastric ulcer, eczema and rage.
- Pitta – Training exercise
A Pitta-person has a very strong motivation and is very competitive. It’s important that you ease up a bit and don’t take your training too serious. You could easily push yourself too hard and get injured. Try a more playful attitude in your workouts. Your hot personality would benefit from outdoor sports, since it helps cooling you down. Swimming, diving, canoeing, skiing and running are all good alternatives for you.
Since you like team sports very much, training exercises such as American football, base ball, basket ball and ice hockey are all activities that fit your personality perfectly.
Kapha with weight problems
- Kapha – Keep a diet and a lifestyle suited for you
If you have a Kapha personality your body structure is bigger than those of Vata and Pitta, and your metabolism is slower. Your overweight is due to a slow digestion. A Kapha-person is rarely naturally thin so you should not aim to be skinny because that would not be healthy for you. If you can’t lose those extra pounds no matter what you do, you should know that being skinny is against your nature. You should try to balance your metabolism by keeping a diet and lifestyle suited for a Kapha-person.
You should increase the element “fire” in your diet and lifestyle. Flavor your vegetables and lentils with herbs like black pepper, fresh ginger and turmeric. Turmeric supports the metabolism and reduces cholesterol (as well as allergies) and it also helps burning fat. You should be careful with the turmeric though, and consult a doctor if someone in your family history has had problems with the liver or the bile/gall, since turmeric activates the liver. Other tastes that keep the Kapha in balance are bitter and dry like green leafy vegetables, bean soups, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprout. It is very important that you prepare your vegetables and eat them hot. Don’t eat any food that is cold and raw since it’s hard to digest.
Rice (Basmati) should be in your diet, as well as Quinoa. Quinoa is a great alternative to rice. Quinoa is perfect to eat when you wish to reduce weight since it has a lot of protein and zinc. Your Quinoa should always be hot and cooked with some ghee or olive oil so it won’t be too dry. You should avoid cold and heavy desserts like ice cream and cheese cake because it will slow your metabolism. Cold drinks are also something to avoid. Deep fried food, refined sugar and refined wheat flower is to be avoided if you want to balance your Kapha and lose weight.
You should eat your main meal when the sun shines the most during the day. This will help your digestion. In the morning your digestion won’t be that strong so you should eat something lighter like a cooked apple or pear mixed with plums. This balances all the three Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha and helps the metabolism. Eat your dinner before 6 pm. A nourishing soup or a rice dish is recommended.
- Kapha – You need tougher workouts
When a Kapha-person is out of balance the breathing will suffer. Daily breathing exercises can help you get balanced and this will have a good effect on your metabolism. The deep breathing exercise will also calm your body and soul. A balanced Kapha person will gain a healthy weight as well as avoiding other Kapha related health problems such as allergic reactions, problems with mucous membrane and depression.
Regular training is the most important change for a Kapha-person wanting to lose weight since it will strengthen your metabolism. A Kapha-person will probably need a little push from a friend to get started. You really need to move your body because your metabolism is slow. You can easily gain weight if you don’t stay active You will need tougher and longer workouts compared to a Vata- or Pitta-person in order to achieve the same weight loss result. But remember that in your favor you have a much stronger body with more endurance than both Vata and Pitta and therefore you can do tougher physical exercises like: Running a marathon, cross country, skiing, triathlon, cycling, weight training, and hiking. You could even be the next Rocky if you wanted. Your body certainly has the strength. You just need to work with your motivation. Find your star and run for it. You can do it!